Prince Harry: I'll never get over having to walk behind mum's coffin

Prince Harry has opened up about the emotional scarring he suffered at his mother’s funeral.

“My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me, while millions more did on television,” the royal recalled in an interview with Newsweek.

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“I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”

The trauma of that auspicious occasion contributed to Harry’s famed party-boy lifestyle in his early adulthood, he said.

“I still have a naughty streak,” the prince admits, but says he now uses it as a way to relate to people.

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Casting aside the fast-paced lifestyle he once led, Harry now wants to use his role as an influencer for good – and he wants to do it before he’s inevitably overshadowed by his niece and nephew.

“I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too,” he tells Newsweek.

“Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping.”

Despite his earnest comments, Harry understands the importance of maintaining the “magic” aura of royalty for his people.

The “tricky balancing act”, as Harry describes it, is one he continues to manage well, as was evident during his visit to Australia earlier this month, when he charmed the crowd with chats and smiles.